Circumstances
by drake1
Summary: this chapter is one of those chapters titled 'neccesary evil'. i hope you R&R. Rue meets two other female pages. (if you people would read the story, you'd know ho i'm talking about!!)
1. The First Meeting

Disclaimers: These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Tamora Pierce

Disclaimers:These characters do not belong to me, they belong to Tamora Pierce.Please Read and Review.Thanx.^_^.v..

By Hendy

A small girl stood on the bow of an imposing ship, easily maintaining her balance with the rise and fall of the ship on the current. Her features were a little too close together to call her pretty but she wasn't ugly. She had large green eyes and a small nose and a full mouth set in a tanned, narrow face that was sprinkled with freckles. She was dressed in a ragged tunic with a vest pulled over it, a pair of faded breeches and the ankle boots of sailors on her small feet. Her long, white blond hair was pulled under a sailors cap a size too big.

A large callused hand settled on her shoulder, making her look up at a wizened old sailor. Her eyes lighting up at this signal that she waited for each day, she raced to the captain's cabin. Straightening her worn out tunic, with a quick knock, she walked in. 

"Hela girly." 

"Hela Cap'n." turning, Captain Rilart stood and ordered her to close the door. She did and was swept into a bear hug. 

"Hela Rue." 

"Hela papa" she answered happily. Her father set her down on a chair and got their supper off the small oven in his room. Rue stared at her father and was certain that no one in the whole world could have a better, more perfect papa. 

Rilart stood straight and tall at over 6 feet; broad, with striking white blonde hair and large blue eyes set in a tanned face, he was the focus of attention in almost any room he was in. With an elaborate court bow, the Captain put the food on the table. Giggling, Rue curtsied and her father mussed her hair laughing. The two went on to eat super and discuss their day, politics and whatever struck their fancy at that moment. Finishing up, there came a knock on the door. Rue jumped up and opened the door and then wished she hadn't. In walked a tall gangly boy with a colorful head of many reds hair and blue eyes so dark that they were almost black. 

"Ah, Nick. Welcome. Come to give me the evening report?" 

"Evening Captain. Yep." Nick's eyes stayed on the half eaten supper and ignoring his daughters' gasp of horror that there special hour of the day would be interrupted, the Captain asked him to stay. By concentrating on both children, the Captain got both his daughter out of the sulks and Nick to relate his message and to stop stuffing his face. 

Later that night Rue prepared for bed. Her watch was over and the day had been long. About to pull off her vest, a hand clamped over her mouth. Desperately, Rue tried every trick she knew but the body at the end of the hand seemed to know her every move. After too little air for too long, her eyes rolled back in her head and she dropped unconscious. How much time passed she didn't know but her waking up was a sudden thing. Rue immediately knew she was not in her closet of a cabin on her fathers ship, the Independence. In fact, she wasn't on the sea at all. This, more then anything, terrified her. 

In all her nine years of life she could count on one hand the number of time she had spent a night on land. Her parents had never let her off the ship, saying that the inns on land were worse then the ship and the few times she had slept in a inn had convinced her that they were right. But looking around now, she realized that this room was no disgusting inn room. Having been around people who pinched pennies her whole life, Rue mentally tallied up the prices of the thick mattress where she had been sleeping, the nightclothes she was wearing, the draperies, carpeting, bedstead and her mouth dried up at the number of digits the sum had. 

Rue shed the fancy nightgown, noting with disgust that it had lace and was silk- two materials that Rue believed to be the epitome of wasteful.Donning her old clothes, Rue began to walk around the room, looking for a door or any sort of crease in the wall that would denote an opening. She found none but kept looking, reasoning that for lack of anything else to do, she might as well do something constructive. 

"Rue." came a quiet voice. Rue spun around, startled by a voice after this long period of silence. She judged she had been in this room for about 5 hours since awakening. 

"Rue. Are you hungry?" Getting her nod (because she was and saw no purpose in denying it), the voice continued "Good." Suddenly, behind one wall draping, came a short, smiling portly man, who was balding on top. Rue smiled, and though she didn't know it, the smile gave away her every thought. It showed her confidence in knocking the fat man out and making a run for it. He shook his head and told her to not bother. 

"I am a knight trained- I don't use it much, but I do remember it." Raising her eyebrows, Rue snorted. "A noble, huh? Well, that should make you a proper dickhead." Judging from the man's expression he hadn't been expecting something that she had done- only problem was that she didn't know what it was that had shocked him. If she had, she would have kept on doing it. 

"Who are you?" Rue asked and the man smiled and replied that he was a friend of her fathers.At this, Rue jumped up and shouted for joy. 

"You can tell the Cap'n where I am! He's probably so worried about where I might be by now!" She scampered toward the hanging from which the man had emerged, but a hand touched her shoulder and Rue turned around slowly. He was pale and shaking, however it was not from fright or nerves but more from anger. 

"Your father didn't tell you?" he asked. Suddenly anxious all over again, with a bad feeling in her stomach, Rue began to shout. 

"Who are you? Where is my papa??" "Rue, your father brought you to me. He knows you're here." Staring at him, Rue saw that it was entirely possible.How else had she been taken so easily? Her father had trained her-of course he would be able to block her! And he had been talking lately about what a big girl she was, and had been asking how she liked land. Rue groaned. She should have seen this coming. But, but she couldn't believe her father would give her up so easily to some fat, balding stranger! Her eyes filled with tears and the man kneeled down next to her and made comforting noises. 

"Oh, don't cry!Your father gave you to me so you could become a proper young woman! That's all...he had something very important to do for me and it was too dangerous for you! He didn't want to risk you, Rue. Otherwise he never would have given you to my care. He loves you very, ver-". 

That was when Rue hit him on his neck with her fist and before Sir Miles' unconscious body hit the floor, she was out of the door behind the wall hanging. The only thought she spared after that for him that he was a fat, balding idiotic stranger if he had believed those tears.  
  
  
  
  



	2. Adventures

Disclaimers: These characters don't belong to me

Disclaimers:These characters don't belong to me. They belong to Tamora Pierce.Except for my main character.Don't you love her?Read and Review, please.  
  


CHAPTER TWO

By Hendy

The corridor after the escape door was dark and smelled like mold. An expression of disgust on her face, Rue went down the straight hall with all the stealth her mama had taught her. She slowly made her way down toward light and noise, bypassing another stairway that led up and another that lead down. Slowly opening up the door, she was relived to see daylight. 

Closing the door behind her, she followed her nose to the docks of Corus. The walk was long and so she had plenty of time to think. Had her papa given her up? It didn't seem possible- her father loved her. But then something the fat nobleman said came back to her. "…_Gave you to me so you could become a proper young woman." _Her become a proper person? No, she thought, shaking her head, Captain would never betray his wife's memory like that. Thoughts swirled in her head; did he? If so, what now? He couldn't have! He wouldn't! Suddenly, she thought of the fact that seamen were suspicious. What if they decided she was getting too old and now counted as a woman? After all, everyone knows that having a woman on your boat was suicide! Had the men she had known her whole life turned on her? Could the crew have pressured her father into making him put her on land? Shaking her head, Rue dismissed the idea. No one could force the Captain into doing anything he didn't want to. So then, if she was abandoned, it had to be his idea. The thoughts in her head were so hurtful it was making her nauseous, grouchy and angry. Pausing, letting the traffic of the streets pass her by, Rue emptied her mind of all of these speculations. When she had more time, she decided, she'd sort them out into some order of sense. Until then there really was no point in wondering-now was the time to concentrate on not getting lost. 

Forcing her way through the crowd, Rue continued to the wharf, to go to her father's ship and make him see reason. This was all a bad joke, and a big mistake. But it was no mistake. When Rue came to the docks and though she looked and looked, she did not see her fathers ship. Walking the whole length of the wharf was long and time consuming but Rue did it twice. Swallowing the betrayal and pain would be hard but it would be impossible with a dry throat and aching feet. Turning her back, she walked toward the first bar she saw. She did not care that she would be conspicuous; if someone started up with her, well then, she'd handle it. Ignoring the fact that her father had never let her come into a place like this, only upscale inns and taverns, Rue didn't look at any of the other patrons except for the once over she had given the room when walking in.Sitting down at a table, Rue waited for a barmaid.

Not long in coming, the woman got to the point "What a chit like you doin' in a place like this?This ain't no place for a kid." Rue sighed and replied that she just wanted a drink of ale. Shaking her head, (and wondering where the world was going that a tiny girl wanted to drink alcohol) Rue's ale was brought. As a paying customer was a paying customer, the barmaid also brought her the refill that Rue requested. Finishing her drink, she stood up and left but not alone.

It was the barmaid. Looking concerned, she asked, "Kid, you okay? I mean, you ain't from around here and I just warning you to be careful- too many kids like you end up hurt around here, you know?" Turning to her, Rue smiled and said,

"My father is Captain Rilart and my mother was First mate Deanna, both of the ship the Independence."

"Ah." was all the bar girl said before smiling and adding, "My name is Namah. You can leave messages for me at Hairy Horse." Rue raised her eyebrows at the name and Namah shrugged. 

"Hey I didn't think it up." After pointing to the bar Rue had recently visited, Namah turned and went back to work. 

Rue looked at the retreating Namah's back and wondered why in Mithros would she leave a message for Namah? Shaking her head, Rue began to think about what she would do now that her father had gone of and truly left her, and wandered the streets of Corus, obviously preoccupied. 

Going past an alley, she heard a sound that sounded like a kitten in pain. Looking in she saw a girl of about 12 kicking two teenaged boys who were pawing at her skirts. Saying nothing but glaring them to oblivion, the girl was putting up a decent fight, and feeling restless, Rue jumped in. The girl saw and her eyes widened, but luckily her attackers didn't realize that there was someone behind them. Her hands in a fist, Rue hit one in the back of his knee, causing him to fold down, and then the girl gave him a kick in the head. The fallen boy's friend turned, enraged, and tried to get a grip on Rue. Stupid kid, thought Rue as the olive skinned girl shoved him toward her. Rue punched him and the girl hit him with a glass bottle that was on the floor. The problem was solved (both men were not going to wake up for a while), fun had been had and a possible ally had been discovered. 

The two children looked at each other, measuring the other to their own standards. Rue saw a girl with olive toned skin, large brown eyes, and shoulder length curly brown hair that was barely contained by the headband on her head. She was of medium height and had on clothes that while did not scream wealthy noble girl, they had the air of well-made, privately tailored clothes. If Rue hadn't seen her fight, she never would have graced this pampered looking, future society darling with her witty conversation but since she had…

Rue stuck out her hand "My name is Rue." 

The noble girl took rue's hand and shook it. "My name is Fionola of Kipling Peak. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm sure it is, but what were you doing in a place like the docks without a guard or chaperone?" 

Fionola tossed her hair over a shoulder and raised her head. "I was peeved at my guardian and so punished her by going off on my own." 

Staring at the girl, Rue reassessed her estimation of Fionola's intelligence. Shaking her head, Rue offered to take the girl back to where she was staying. Fionola thought for a moment and was about to answer when a shout came from the front of the alley."There she is!" A tired and exasperated city guard jogged up to the two girls and directed a scowl to Fionola. 

"A lovely chase Lady Fionola, but its time to come home now. Your guardian is waiting for you at City Headquarters." Turning her nose upward, Fionola didn't reply but merely glided past him, with the attitude of boredom and superiority in her every movement. Rue grinned at Fionola's mannerisms, but stopped when she realized that the guard was looking at her. 

"What?" she asked, on the defensive. "Your mother never taught you no manners?" 

The guard didn't appear to notice her but looked away smirking. Her already frayed temper snapped and about to yell some choice comments on his mother, sisters, and an area of his body that all men are proud of, Rue was interrupted by a shout. "Rue!" Ignoring the self-satisfied guardsman, Rue looked at Fionola. 

"I'm giving you a reward for rescuing me." Fionola commanded. "Come with me to my guardian and then I'll give you some payment." Never one to dismiss money from any source, Rue shrugged and agreed to come.   
Going through the streets, the guards chatted only a little and the two girls not at all. Rue had never been this deep into a city in her life and it showed in the way she tilted up her head and stared at the vendors. Sighing, the guardsmen warned her not to stop and look because they were not going to wait. Not replying, Rue examined everything in her eyesight with wordless amazement. It's like the biggest, most diverse load of cargo in the world she thought to herself. There were things that she recognized: weapons from Scanra, the famous Yamani Island silks, Carthak jewelry, Copper Isles fruits and plates and pottery from all over Tortall herself. However, there was much she didn't understand or know where they came from or what their purpose was. What in the goddess' name was that box thing? Or that pastry- it smelled wonderful but looked like a fat slug. 

The noise was only getting louder and the vendors, sensing a virgin to cities, screamed at her, thrusting their hands laden with goods, in her face. All the change began to fray Rue's temper and when yet another person shoved something at her, Rue was going to try to break it and the vendor but her arm was grabbed by a guard and held onto, not allowing her move anywhere but where the guard holding her wanted to go. Her temper recovered, Rue allowed this and so she plodded along with the man. Coming to a large, nondescript building of no real age, it was identified as the City Guard Headquarters only by the flag outside, waving merrily on its pole.   
Once inside, only the captain of the guards escorted them into his superior's office where a furious looking woman was waiting. 

"Hello Auntie Gertrude." Fionola said warily, already knowing what was going to happen. 

"You! You should know better! I expected this sort of ridiculous behavior by your sister but you Fionola? YOU know better. I am shocked and annoyed and very unhappy." Fionola said not a word but looked ashamed and apparently this pleased the incensed aunt. Calming, Gertrude looked at Rue and her outfit and then back at her niece. 

"My dear," Gertrude drawled, "If your going to get a pet, at least get a pedigreed dog- not a mongrel like this piece of trash." Rue for a moment said nothing, shocked by the unwarranted attack, but she very quickly recovered. 

About to kick the pompous woman, she was stopped by another voice, saying coldly "That trash, madam, has more pedigree then you'll ever wish for." Turning to see who her unexpected champion was, Rue gasped. In fact, the whole room gasped. 

Gertrude, her eyes wide, curtsied low and deep, "My lord Myles. What an unexpected surprise to see you in the city guard headquarters."

"Yes" said Myles, "I was about to report the disappearance of a certain child I am responsible for but now see she's here." Eyes laughing, he added. "I applaud you Captain. Your city guards know what to look for even before I filed my report-highly efficient." Taking Rue's hand, Sir Myles leaned down and putting a hand on her shoulder, whispered that he would answer all her questions if she would come with him quietly now. "After all" he added, "I think by now you realize your father is not coming back for you." 

Looking at Sir Myles, Rue took her shoulder back and said in an angry whisper "I did not give you permission to take my hand. Don't touch me!" she ended with a hiss. Myles nodded his head, agreed, and apologized. 

Taking a breath, and giving up all hope that her father was still in port, Rue agreed to go. "All right then." Myles said turning and bid everyone in the room to have a good day. Fionola pulled Rue to the side and told her that they would meet again and Rue believed her for some reason. She just wasn't sure though, if that was a bad thing or a good thing. Turning, she went out the door into the sunlight and then into a coach with sir Myles. As the coach began to move, Rue wondered why everyone seemed to know something she did not about herself. However, she concentrated on Sir Myles as he looked like he was ready to talk. 


	3. Experiences?

Disclaimers: These characters belong to Tamora Pierce

Disclaimers:These characters belong to Tamora Pierce.Some of the characters they belong to me.For Tamora Pierce book lovers, you all should know which characters are which.If not, then you should!^_^ Read and Review please…also enjoy!

CHAPTER THREE:  
by Hendy

Settling back in the carriage, Myles looked at his defiant charge and inwardly sighed.His original thought had been to give her to Alanna, or more specifically, to use the resources at Pirates Swoop to help train the girl to be a proper noblewoman. She would have been educated, well mannered and still have had plenty of time to be active and learn the basics in protecting herself. He could tell two things however just by looking at the way she was casually twirling a small dagger. Firstly, she already knew the basics of protecting herself and secondly, that her becoming a proper young noble woman was about as likely as himself losing thirty pounds. He sighed. Startling, Rue looked at him, suspicion in her eyes. 

"I'm not going to hurt you child." Myles told her in a mild voice."You needn't jump every time I move." 

"I'm not jumping." Rue retorted. "And besides, I don't care if you are a knight.With all that padding on your stomach, I can just outrun you." 

Ah, thought Myles, knights make her nervous. I wonder why. Her remembering that detail of his knighthood surprised him but it did not show on his face. "Perhaps you could out run me." He agreed, in the same mild tone. "But I don't think you're arrogant enough to believe you can out run my five guards." His tone turned sharper as he added, "Are you?" 

Confused, Rue asked, "Am I what?" 

"Arrogant.Do you consider yourself arrogant?"He asked.

"Arrogant as in I have no problem in admitting when I'm good at something or perhaps arrogant in that I believe myself to be better than everyone else?"She asked in return.

Miles smiled patronizingly and replied "Whichever one you want."

" Well, then yeah."Silence fell in the coach and after two minutes of no more forthcoming information from Rue, Myles was forced to ask, "Yes to which one?"

Rue smiled sweetly and replied "Whichever one you want."   
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Rue looked at the passing streets that were slowly beginning to become more sophisticated and better maintained as the coach came closer to the palace. A sudden lurch threw Rue violently to the side of the coach, slamming her hip into a sharp corner of something.Wincing in pain, Rue rubbed the sore spot and thought bitterly to herself that it wasn't broken cobblestone streets on a ship. On a ship there isn't any smoky air, or garbage infested streets. There aren't any starving people who smelled and grabbed at carriages, or children who had on barely any clothing and grinned with a wide child's smile but looked at the world with old eyes.

The carriage came to a sudden jerky halt as a peddler's cart overturned. As the guards ran forward to help the man out, Myles leaned out the window to give unneeded directions to the driver of an alternate route. Rue sighed, as she placed her chin against her hand and stared out the window. A hard looking child sauntered up, and smirked at Rue. Shouting to the inside of the carriage, the girl called, "Hey! How'd a skinny thing like you gonna handle Lord Chubby there?"

All the girl's friends snickered.Rue's head shot up. "_What_? You think grandpa here is, is usin' me?" She stared at the street kid incredulously. "Never gonna happen, streetie. Never, no and not gonna happen." 

She shook her head and the girl suddenly leaned closer to the carriage and yelled. "HEY LORD CHUBBY!!!" Myles shot up and knock his head on the carriage ceiling with a loud crack. Rue and the street kid giggled at each other at this display and the kid continued. 

"I was wondering, since you ain't using ugly girl here, how's about me?" Myles gave Rue a look. 

"Get away from the carriage, child." Myles told the girl quietly and flipped the girl a coin out the window, after which she scampered away. Myles tapped the top of the carriage and as they lurched off, Myles stared at Rue. 

"Rue", he began "I understand you don't want to be here but telling complete strangers that I am a child user is beyond the realms of my patience. I will not allow it." 

Rue stared at him in horror. "I did not say anything!!" she protested. Myles looked into her eyes, stared hard and long and nodded his head. 

"All right. I believe you but only because I know how much you don't like me. But that child did bring up a problem that I had with Alanna; a problem I had not thought of." Myles settled back against the cushioned seat and Rue asked "What problem?" "Rumors." Myles said. "Rumors that will not help you at all." 

Rue stared at him "What type?" Myles ran his hand over his beard. "Well, Alanna and I were very close when she was younger- a couple of gossip mongers with nothing to do, mentally you understand, began the rumor that I was using Alanna, eh…" Myles cleared his throat and turned a shade of pink. "That I, uh, used her in appropriately, that is" He coughed again and cleared his throat, all the while turning different shades of red and pink. 

Rue stared at him in shock. "They thought you was banging Alanna? But she was supposed to be a bo… oh." Myles smiled at her expression. 

"Yes. Oh." Rue shook her head and asked what the heck this had to do with her. "Rumors might resurface." 

"Oh, I ain't a boy.I'll tell 'em all." She said.

"No no. They'll think I'm using you anyway. Idiots." As the latter comment had been mumbled Rue assumed it applied to the gossipmongers. 

"I am going to have to find a way out of this." Looking at the ring on his finger, Rue pointed and said, "Ain't you married?" 

Myles smiled fondly at the ring and in a satisfied voice "Yes. To a wonderful woman."

"Well, you could always get caught doin' somethin' in public that at my age I ain't supposed to know about." 

Myles, not a stupid man, knew what she was referring to and quickly disabused her of that notion. "No, absolutely not. Quite out of the question." 

Rue shrugged. "Just a suggestion grandpa. Don't get your panties in a twist." About to reply to that comment, Myles stopped and shrugged. 

"Ready to hear?" He asked.

"About my father?" She wondered.

"What else?" Myles asked.

If that smile on your face is anything to judge by, your delicious sex lifethought Rue sarcastically. However all she said was "Nothing. Go ahead." 

"All right" Myles took a breath and began. "What I have to say _may not_ go beyond this carriage. It is very important that you say nothing of this conversation to anyone, ever. Not just for my safety, but for your fathers also." Getting affirmation from Rue that she understood and would comply, Myles continued. "I am our good King Jon's spy master girl. What that means is that I gather information for the Kingdom's use. Do you understand?" 

"Yeah. You're a glorified fishwife." Expecting a temper tantrum, Rue was shocked when Myles threw back his head and laughed. After of about a minute or two of this behavior, wiping tears away, Myles said "Very apt description.I must tell my dear Eleni. She'll love it!" Myles began to smile and looked out the window with an absentminded and stupid look on his face.

Rue groaned. Just my luck-I get stranded in a country whose spymaster is a newlywed. I hate newlyweds!!__Shaking himself back into reality, Myles continued. "Well, as spy master, I have many contacts. Some personal but most through my…well, I guess if I were a king, these people would be my advisors or generals. They get information for me from places I can't go. For instance, one person goes to the merchants for me." 

Rue interrupted "Why can't you go to merchants?" 

"I'm one of the King's advisors.If I would go, merchants begging for favors would attack me. It would be incredibly tiresome. Satisfied?" Rue nodded.

"You'll be meeting two of my best people. You already know a third." He looked at Rue intently. "Do you remember how your fathers ship never seemed to follow logical routes? And how your mother always seemed to handle the actual buying, haggling, and shipping to and from the boat? Well, this is because your father was too busy working- for me. He was not an actual merchant. He was a spy. And over half his crew was too." Rue stared at Myles, naturally amazed. Her entire history had been turned on its head; nothing was as it appeared and no one she knew was really who they were supposed to be. Her head swam and rang with the surprise. But one little detail about Myles had said stuck in her mind, and as the implications of that became clear, Rue burst out laughing. 

"What's so funny?" Myles asked mystified. 

"You never knew!" Rue laughed harder. 

"Never knew what?" Myles said.

"My father was only a merchant in Tortall, Lord Myles. Everywhere else my father was a pirate, a rather notorious one in fact. All those things he ever brought into Tortall were booty from raids! Ever heard of the Captain?That's my papa!!" Myles made a small choking noise that sounded almost exactly like a squawking chicken. The political ramifications of this were going to keep him up for weeks, he knew. Rue began to laugh even harder and for the first time since she had awoken on land, was happy.At someone else's expense, true. But it was something.

As the carriage rolled to a halt in the palace grounds, Myles glared at the still giggling Rue. But in his regular good humor, Myles soon shrugged it off and began to see the humor in the situation.

"You and I are going to talk about your future child. But first we are first going to bathe, and find some proper clean clothes. Ready?" Myles asked. Rue nodded and jumped down from the carriage, following Myles into the palace.


	4. {4} the palace and those who dwell withi...

CHAPTER FOUR:

The palace was a huge and rather daunting place for a girl who had spent most of her life on a ship. Rue's eyes were wide and frightened but her steps did not falter. In fact, she thought she was giving off a very brave appearance and no one would have told her otherwise had she asked, but the fact that she was sidling closer to Myles with every couple steps gave her away. Myles walked quickly and obviously knew where he was going. Down they went different hallways and climbed more than a few stairways. Going through a long wide corridor, Myles stopped in front of a large painting.

 "That" he said pointed to a dignified man with a twinkle in his eyes "Is King Jon. The woman next to him is Queen Thayet." Rue whistled. If the painter had only drew a fraction of what the queen really looked like, it was understandable why even she had heard of Queen's beauty. "The painter has actually made her less beautiful then she is. If he drew her, as she really is, later generations would believe the painting was fixed to make the Queen happy. The children next to her are the heir apparent Prince Roald and Princess Kalasin and the ones next to Jon are Prince Jasson, Princess Lianne and Prince Liam. You'll see all the royal children at point or another. Be respectful if you see anyone of the royal family."

 Myles hurried on and at last! The pair arrived at a set of doors that seemed to be as unremarkable as every other door in that foyer. Myles took a key from his money pouch and opened the door. Rue walked in and blinked. Looking up at Myles (because even a short man like Lord Myles was larger then she was), Rue demanded to know if this was a joke. "No. This will be your room while you stay here with me." Correctly guessing that Rue needed to be left alone for a minute, Myles made up some excuse about having to "contact a chambermaid to clean the room" and quietly left. 

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Rue walked into the room, her footsteps not making any noise on the thickly carpeted floor. She knew Myles thought she was thrilled about the room and when one was used to a tiny converted pantry as a bedroom, it was pretty incredible. However, the whole room was _yellow_. Bright yellow carpet, bright yellow walls, yellow bed sheets, bright yellow curtains; there was little stuffed bunnies with yellow dresses and bonnets on, for love of Mithros! And naturally there were large bay windows that let in the waning yellow sunlight. Her eyes were beginning to smart. She quickly walked to a door on one of the walls, opened it and stepped inside. It was a bathroom and it too, was done up all in yellow. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me" Rue muttered as she looked at the yellow tiled bathtub. Finding an escape for her suffering eyeballs was obviously going to be harder then she thought. Leaving the bathroom, Rue spotted another door. Mumbling a prayer, she went in and it was dark and peaceful. Sighing with relieve, she sat down and leaned back into mound of something that enveloped her, stealing her air. Choking back a scream, Rue fought her way out and bolted out her supposed haven. After catching her breath, she eased the door open to let the sunlight in. Peering in, she groaned. Reaching in she pulled out a pile of bright yellow dresses whose (oh this is just ridiculous, she thought in disgust) pale yellow petticoats had frightened her so badly. Staring at the yellow dresses in the yellow room that had a yellow bathroom, Rue decided that the previous occupant of this room had probably gone insane or poked out their eyes to spare themselves. Dropping the dresses, Rue marched toward the door that led to the hallway – there was no way that she was going to stay in this room. "I'll find Lord Chubby and demand a room switch." She said to herself as she walked out. Which way? Rue stopped and listened hard for voices and sure enough, in a minute or two, she heard someone speaking. 

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"MYLES!! How could you do something so stupid?" Jon ranted. At this, a gasp was heard from Thayet. "Jon!" she hissed, rather surprised at this rudeness. "Myles", she said turning to the knight, "I'm sorry for the king's childish outburst." Myles chuckled and said "Wait until you meet the girl before you apologize. She's a….I suppose you could say she's a challenge." 

"Well, I'm not so sure mother and you are able to handle a challenge, Myles." Said George. His mother looked at him, eyebrows raised but George avoided looking at her. "I'm quite serious." He said, his words stopping at odd points. "Don't you want to be left alone, in your more advanced age? You know, relaxed and all, with no new children to take of." He finished heatedly and out of breath. The occupants of the room looked at George, with slightly disturbed expressions on their faces, except for Alanna whose face was buried in her face. "Oh gods….." moaned Alanna. "I don't believe this…George, sweetling, its not like she's really your mother's. Your still your mommy's favorite and only child." She rolled her eyes as everyone else laughed and George blushed. He muttered that was not what he had meant but everyone just laughed again. Getting back to the business again, "But what are you going to do with her?" Jon asked. "Well", said Myles, sharing a look with Eleni, "we were both hoping that she wouldn't actually stay with us. As you said, we are older and her father is going to be gone for quite some time so rather, we were hoping she would become a page." The adults in the room looked at each other and Jon was about to bring up a pertinent point that seemed to have skipped Myles mind when a small figure stepped into the room. "I won't do it." Rue announced. "You must be Rue." Eleni said, bending down to be eye level with Rue, "I'm Eleni, Myles wife." Looking at Eleni suspiciously, Rue nodded her head once as reply. Pushing past Eleni, Rue spoke angrily to Myles. "You didn't say the Captain would be away for a long time! I thought he would be back soon! You didn't say!" Myles shook his finger at her "Ah, I never said anything about how long he would be gone. You never asked- you assumed he'd be back soon. Never assume anything." Instead of reacting violently (as Myles thought she would), Rue's eyes filled with tears. Turning she ran out of the room, leaving behind a room filled with confused people. 

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Rue ran back to the bright yellow room and closed the shades. The room was dark, gloomy and cool. Burying her head under her pillow, Rue sat there and fought the urge to cry. "Sailors don't blubber sailors don't blubber sailors don't blubber." She repeated under her breath. It was one of the first things she remembered learning. Before the infamous Widow's knot, before reading charts, she remembered her father telling her this when she had been little- sailor's don't cry. Time passed and Rue was just about to get back under control when a knock came at her door. Getting up slowly, she walked to the door and opened it sullenly. "What?" she muttered. "Rue are you all right?" asked Myles. Rue decided to not answer. Everyone came into the room and a voice said, "Rue. Please tell us how we can make you happier." She looked up and then looked again, shocked. "Hey! You're the king!" she exclaimed. Jon nodded solemnly.  Rue glared, anger filling her up until there was nothing left in her except that anger. "Well, I have a bone to pick with you! Why'd you send my papa out to somewhere? I'll have you know he's a very important man!" Jon looked helplessly at his wife; he had no idea how to handle a furious nine-year old, but a mother would. Thayet said gently "well, we all know that. It's just that no one can do what needs to be done quite as well as your papa. Tortall needed the best." Alanna nodded and added, "Besides, your father was confident that if anything went wrong in Corus, you'd be able to take care of yourself." Rue looked up and asked hesitantly "He really did?" All the adults nodded quickly. Chewing her lip, Rue considered. "Well, if I'm gonna stay here, I want a couple things." Myles and Jon stared at each other and by some signal, agreed to something. Leaning back, George took charge. "Well, it depends that the requests are not too outrageous." Nodding thoughtfully, Rue paced and after a couple of minutes she spoke. "I want to get an allowance. Nothing extreme…just something every week." She looked up and Jon gestured for her to continue. "I'll also want to be kept up with my father's whereabouts. Just to know that he's ok. If there's anyway that I can talk or write to him, I want to." "Completely reasonable." Jon said. "If I remember right, Pages have the summer off?" "True" said alanna. "Well then I want to spend my summers when I'm a page by the ocean." George smiled. "You can stay with Alanna and me at our barony." "You'll feel right at home." Myles said dryly. "Its name is Pirates Swoop." Rue giggled. (By the looks of everyone else's confused faces, Myles had neglected to tell them about her papa's real line of work.) "Wait a minute." Thayet said. "Pages can only be noble born. We cannot change something that important.  Not for anyone." Jon waved a hand carelessly. "No fears, my lady. Rue is quite noble born." Rue stared at him incredulously. "Say what?" Jon looked at her in surprise. "You mean you didn't know?" "If I did I wouldn't be surprised right now."she told him as if talking to a child in diapers. "True." Jon said. Turning to Thayet, and Alanna, he challenged "Well. What noble does she resemble? Her family is still a presence in court. A hint- her hair." After a few puzzled stares, Alanna gasped. "Jon! You're joking!" Shaking his head, Jon began to grin. Thayet began to giggle. "Its not possible. Are you sure?" "Look at her hair." Myles said, laughingly. Alanna burst out laughing. Rue looked about, terribly confused. "Who am I related to?" Eleni leaned down and said "The strictest conservatives in court-the Stone Mountain clan." "Don't you all remember?" Jon said eagerly. "There was a huge scandal in the family about a son who married below him and the family decided to disown him? Well, with the beginning of the appearances of the immortals, the family forgot to follow through with their request." Staring, Alanna asked, "So it never got filed and sealed?" Laughing Jon said "No!" All the adults laughed and laughed. Rue was astounded (and didn't like it at all. She had been surprised way too much lately.) "Well, when do I start being a page?" Alanna began to quiz her on her abilities and soon was satisfied. "She'll be fine." Alanna said. "Wonderful." Myles replied "Then today you'll begin. You'll be in time for introduction and supper. All your things your father gave us are waiting to be placed so we'll find out where you go and put it all away." Going toward the door, Myles gestured toward Rue. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Lord Padraich. He's your training master." Rue shrugged and followed. Whatever she was going toward had to be better then the bright yellow room. 


	5. Meeting Lord Padraig

CHAPTER FIVE:  
  
Looking at the man in front of her, Rue matched him glare for glare. Here was the person who was going to make her miserable for the next four years and already she could tell he didn't like her. If she had still been in her sailor clothing, she would have thought it was because she was dirty but Alanna and Eleni had made her put on fancy clothing. Well made clothing in long lasting fabrics, she certainly did not look scruffy at all. He lifted his nose into the air and Rue copied him to keep eye contact. Frowning, he raised his nose higher and Rue copied. This went on until Rue's neck was bent backwards. Annoyed now, Rue asked, "Is there any purpose to doing that?" Lord Padraig's head snapped down and happily Rue did the same.  
  
"Hmph" Extraordinarily articulate Rue noted sarcastically. She walked to his desk and pulled out his chair.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, were you waiting for me to pull out your chair for you?" A thick headed pompous idiot, thought Rue as Lord Padraig walked over, sat down and then motioned for her to sit in the chair opposite him. After she had sat, Lord Padraig began.  
  
"The rules are generally simple and rather commonsense- no flirtations, no sexual intercourse, no fighting between pages. For female pages" (rue noticed with interest that when he said that a expression of disgust crossed his face; sort of how her papa's face had looked after he had tasted squid in pepper sauce.) "No boys can be in your room and the door be closed at the same time. However" he said consulting his papers "there are no rooms left for you. As you may have heard, pages are now rooming together to promote friendships and to help you and your fellow pages learn how to tolerate differences. The other two female pages this year are already rooming together and even with the room size doubled, I'm afraid there is no way for you to stay with them." Lord Padraig stood up and walked over to a small chart tacked onto the wall. Peering at it he mumbled things to himself, shaking his head. Moving his finger along the little boxes he finally smiled and turned back to Rue. Walking over to the door, he conferred with someone outside of it and shut it again. "There is a woman outside. She'll show you your rooms and help you settle in."  
  
"Yes Sir" Rue said, bowing just on the side of mocking. There was silence for a moment.  
  
"I'm going to work you to the ground, child. You're much too fresh." This last was said in such a pleasant voice it took me a moment for the meaning of his words to penetrate. Rue smiled and saluted. "Good luck sir" she said with a gleam in her eye. Dismissed, Rue turned on her heel, marched to the door, opened it and stepped out.  
  
Lord Padraig frowned. He was not stupid as this child thought and she was not half as clever as she so obviously thought she was. The obvious mocking had galled him, but a man didn't become the patriarch of his family by losing his temper at little, petty things such as children. He would take his due from this girl…what was her name? Ah, yes, Rue. Lord Padraig smiled but quickly put her out of his mind. He had problems to be solved and some to get ride of. 


	6. Terry and Yvenne

CHAPTER SIX:  
  
Terrla of Kipling Peak leaped high and fell low. With a shout of delight, she jumped up and landed with a thump. The door slammed open and a girl ran in yelling.  
  
"Terry! Terry! Stop jumping and listen! I have news!!" the girl hopped from foot to foot in excitement. Falling down onto her bed a final time, Terry looked at the impatient girl. With her short blonde hair done up in ribbons, dancing blue eyes and a small nose, Yvenne was giving conservatives heart palpitations. She resembled the ideal little cherub but was definitely not. Her whoops and hollers could be heard around the castle and some of her more personal questions had gotten her expelled from classes as well from several drawing rooms. Terry winced as she remembered Yvenne asking the very fat Lady Edelle if she was pregnant and after learning she was not, Yvenne informed Lady Edelle that she was a hog.  
  
Yvenne glared at her best friend. She knew that pained look on Terry's face; she was remembering when Yvenne slipped up socially. It's not my fault; Yvenne thought despondently, it's my nature. But remebering her news, Yvenne forgot to be annoyed or upset.  
  
"Terry!! We are not alone!!" whispered Yvenne excitedly and she quickly began to explain. Puzzled but not bothering to try and interject, Terry simply let Yvenne prattle on for a couple of minutes. "….and then I turned the corner and saw another girl in page livery and I was all-"  
  
"WHAT?!?!?" Terrla squealed. "Yvenne!! Start off with news like that!! Don't give me your whole day!! Who is she? Where does she come from? What does she look like?" Yvenne sat down and thought out her answer.  
  
"Well" she started slowly, "she looks very mean, you know? Has a growly look about her, as if that if you don't meet with her approval, she's never gonna like you. And I guess, she's sorta pretty; nothing like Queen Thayet or even my mamma. I couldn't get her name 'cuz Salma was taking her to her room." Terry raised her eyebrows. "Of course I followed. I'm flighty but I'm not stupid." Yvenne said in reply to Terrla's unasked question. Yvenne grabbed Terrla's hand and dragged her out the door. "Come on! Let's find out who she is!!" she giggled. The two ran out the door, running to go see the newest addition to the rank of female pages. 


End file.
